Research into ethnic discrimination and social exclusion in Greece has identified particular roles that have an important influence on the situation of migrant workers. People working in services which grant residence and work permits, for example, may be described as ‘gatekeepers’ as they allow or restrict the integration of immigrants. The study assessed perceptions in respect of immigrants and made recommendations for changing attitudes and better services.
A survey conducted by the Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources (Ινστιτούτου Αστικού Περιβάλλοντος και Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού, IAPAD) at the Panteion University of Athens aimed to investigate the existing situation with regard to the provision of essential services for foreign and expatriate immigrants in Greece. The survey examined areas such as legalisation, naturalisation, social insurance and services relating to the labour market, education and health. It also sought to identify the causes of irregularities in the system and make recommendations for improvement. The survey findings were published in 2005 in Ergasia, a scientific journal produced every two years by IAPAD.
According to the 2001 census, some 762,191 immigrants – 415,552 men and 346,639 women – live in Greece, representing 7% of the total population. The majority (57.5%) come from Albania, while the remainder have travelled from 32 other countries: 20 countries in Europe, 10 in Asia, one in Oceania and one in Africa. More than half of the immigrants (54.2%) state that they came to Greece expressly to work.
Role of ‘gatekeepers’ in migration process
In order to clarify the role of ‘gatekeepers’ in society, IAPAD took into account the findings of the eight-year research programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) entitled Combating discrimination against (im)migrant and ethnic workers in the world of work, which highlighted the role of so-called gatekeepers in relation to the inclusion of immigrants in the labour market. According to the ILO definition, such people play a key role in hiring procedures and may include, for example, personnel managers, staff of employment placement services or trade union officials, whose decisions have far-reaching effects on the employment prospects and career choices of workers (Challenging discrimination in employment: A summary of research and a compendium of measure (120Kb PDF), p. 6). The findings of the ILO programme showed that immigrants’ relatively inferior position in the labour market is partly due to the discriminatory treatment they receive from these gatekeepers.
In the IAPAD survey, the meaning of the term gatekeeper was extended to include staff in services who are involved in granting residence and work permits, naturalisation services, the Labour Force Employment Organisation (Οργανισμός Απασχολήσεως Εργατικού Δυναμικού, OAED), the Social Insurance Institute (Ιδρυμα Κοινωνικων Ασφαλίσεων, IKA) and the Greek Fund for Craftsmen and Small Traders (Ταμείο Επαγγελματιών & Βιοτεχνών Ελλάδος, TEBE), as well as school administrators and teachers.
Study methodology
The research was conducted on four levels:
- review and analysis of the relevant literature and surveys;
- small-scale quantitative research on institutions liaising with immigrants, repatriated Greeks and refugees;
- qualitative social research on services staff;
- small-scale qualitative/participative research on services.
Survey findings
Among the conclusions that can be drawn from the research are the following findings:
- the vast majority of services staff believe that the statutory framework governing the entry and residence of foreigners in Greece should be made more strict, at 96.7% and 70% respectively. However, they are less categorical with regard to the framework for granting work permits, with 46.7% of personnel believing that this should be tightened;
- some 74.2% of the staff surveyed are under the impression that there are too many immigrants in Greece;
- the staff have identified behaviours by foreign customers that differ according to their nationality, although they believe that foreigners should not be treated differently on this account;
- the staff consider that an inability to communicate due to language constraints is the biggest problem in their relations with foreigners, and they also rank lack of information for non-nationals high on the list of problems.
Negative attitudes of staff towards immigrants were also recorded, mainly relating to uncontrolled and illegal entry of immigrants, linking immigration with unemployment among Greeks and high crime rates. For example, 51.6% of the respondents agree with the statement that the presence of a large number of foreigners poses a threat to national identity, and the same proportion agree with the statement that they would never work for a foreigner. Moreover, 87.1% of those surveyed agree that foreigners living in Greece are responsible for higher crime rates.
Recommendations
On the basis of the abovementioned findings, the IAPAD survey set out proposals aimed at improving the services relating to immigrants as well as preventing discrimination against them. With regard to improved services, the study recommends standardising and constantly reviewing the relevant legislation, promoting awareness campaigns in partnership with immigrant groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and evaluating the effectiveness of the Greek mechanisms.
The proposals for preventing discrimination against immigrants include greater employee awareness and training, in addition to monitoring procedures. The study recommends the introduction of a complaints procedure in each service and a mechanism to monitor the extent of compliance with the provisions of relevant EU directives, such as Council Directive 2000/43/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. Moreover, the research proposes the engagement and training of members of the largest immigrant groups and placing them in key service positions liaising with foreign nationals.
Commentary
The study findings highlighted the relatively difficult position of foreigners in Greek society, where, in various sectors, factors contributing to the social exclusion of groups of foreigners have been observed. The difficult position of immigrant groups is further exacerbated by the constant changes to the statutory framework made by successive governments in recent times in relation to the scheme for legalising and integrating immigrants in the labour market.
Further information
For information on immigration questions and the current legal framework, see the website of the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute (Ινστιτούτο Μεταναστευτικής Πολιτικής, IMEPO).
Information about the Greek Equal Programme (in Greek) is available online, as part of the European Commission’s EQUAL Initiative.
For information on immigrants, websites of various bodies and NGOs may be accessed, such as: Migrants in Greece, the Research Centre for Gender Equality (Kέντρο Eρευνών για Θέματα Iσότητας, KETHI) and the Greek Council for Refugees (Ελληνικο Συμβουλιο για τους Προσφυγεσ, GCR).
Stathis Tikos, Institute of Greek General Confederation of Labour (INE/GSEE)